Rokugan In Pieces: Yogo
by h31r0fd00m
Summary: The Crane have risen up and slowly the Great Clans are breaking apart and diminishing in size. Minor Clans are stirring up trouble. Technology has hit a revolutionary point with steam. A young Shugenja finally takes his place in the order.
1. Prologue

Summary: Rokugan is nearing a revolution, and not for the better. The Crane have risen up and slowly the Great Clans are breaking apart and diminishing in size. Minor Clans are stirring up trouble. Technology has hit a revolutionary point with steam. A young Shugenja finally takes his place in the order.

Warning: This story is a complete Alternate Universe to the Legend of the 5 Rings saga. Most of what is mentioned makes no sense with the time line (mainly because I'm not 100% familiar) and it is an extreme work of fiction. There will be violence, gore, cussing, adult situations, death, and other subjects that aren't suitable for younger readers.

I, KradsLover, do not own L5R. I only own 1/3 of this plot/story. (see artist comments below)

* * *

They say the calm before the storm was the most dangerous silence one could ever face.

Whoever said that had never faced the moment of silence before a war.

"This is it!" Came the strong voice of a Scorpion general. He and his army stood at the front of the lines, their eyes burning with fury behind the shadows of their masks. Behind them all the Great Clans were poised and ready for combat, staring at the enemy that stood just in front of the valley.

It was not an Oni or any other creatures of the Shadowlands, but the Crane clan. Tired of being only the left hand of the emperor, they decided to sever themselves from the body and form a new one. They were close to taking the throne, to taking over Rokugan. The Crane turned from a clan of artists to a clan of cruel dictators.

The only thing that was in their way was everyone else in the land of Rokugan.

Tension rolled over the armies and the slight shifting of metal armor and weapons soon died down to an unearthly silence. It was a moment of silence for those who were going to die, for the honor that would be lost, for the change that would inevitably come.

The silence only lasted for less than a minute, but it felt like hours had passed. One by one, Bushi, Shugenja, and Courtier alike tightened their grip on their weapons, focused their minds on their spells, and prepared themselves for anything and everything. Both men and women who were trained enough were ready for combat, this was a battle to end it all.

"Now!" that single word screamed by a Crab was all it took to unleash hell upon the land.

A battle cry came from each warriors lips as they rushed forward to their opponents. Soon the human screaming was drowned out by the sound of metal meeting metal.

The once green grass was trampled and stained with blood within minutes. Bodies fell as swords pierced through armor and hit vital organs.

Far behind the armies gathered a small group of the seven clans most powerful Shugenja. They were selected for their skills and were preparing themselves for a final spell. There was a chance that this spell would kill themselves as well as their targets, but they were well aware of that risk. It was a risk worth taking if it meant protecting future generations. Cloaks of all colors rustled in the light breeze as they stood high upon a ledge.

A Scorpion woman raised her hand as she looked at the group in front of her.

"It's now or never!" she yelled, yellow eyes burning above the elaborate cloth that covered the majority of her face. "The Crane were once revered for their art and etiquette, now they are nothing but traitors to the empire! Forget what ties your clans once had to them, attack with all your might! Summon every Kami you know, pray to your ancestors, use your most powerful spells! We cannot afford to lose!"

Her voice echoed above the chaos as she yelled commands. It was rare for a Scorpion to work with other clans, to give orders to the clans, to be so passionate, but this occasion called for all of that.

Every Shugenja then closed their eyes and began to chant the same incantation over and over, building power, building strength.

All except one.

A young Scorpion male of the Yogo family was staring at the scene before him in horror. He wasn't able to do this, the curse that plagued his family was bound to ruin everything. He didn't want to risk everything.

He looked between the Scorpion and the Phoenix, the clans that were basically running through his veins. Hatred of both suddenly filled him and the urge to run away became great.

"Yogo!" the Soshi female who had been shouting orders ran up to him. "You won't betray us," she said sternly, staring down at him, seeing through every mask he wore. What she said wasn't a statement, it was an order.

"But I-" Yogo began to argue but he was cut off.

"You can't betray me, you don't love the Scorpion," she said, holding his hand. "You don't love the Phoenix. Help your brothers and sisters, in both clans! Let the anger you hold against us for how we betrayed you take over! Summon the fire Kami that follows your family, let the hatred consume you! Do not fail me! As your superior I order you not to fail!" she screamed.

Yogo stood there for a few moments as she walked back to the front. He watched as she raised her hands above her head, her fingers out stretched to the dark sky.

Her eyes closed and she began silently whispering an incantation to distract others with. The clouds became darker, flashes of light appearing every few milliseconds. The wind picked up and her long red robes flared up and her dark hair wipped in around her face. As suddenly she opened her eyes, lightning striking down to the earth. Osano-Wo's furry was making itself known, striking the trees and setting them on fire.

The armies stopped the battle when the lightning flashed. Thunder soon followed the magnificent flashes of light.

"Now-" the Soshi was about to call for the final incantation to be cast when suddenly an arrow flew through the air and just barley grazed her cheek. The cloth mask that hid her lies from the world fell off and was carried away by the wind. Blood trickled down the pale skin and her rage was ignited.

She screamed and lifted her arms again in time with the other Shugenja and suddenly the wind picked up and rain pelted down, forcing armies onto their knees under the force. A hurricane of unknown origin was being summoned.

The voices that started out as low chanting soon got louder and louder until they were soon competing in volume with the roaring thunder and screams of pain and fear.

The Shugenja that wore armor and carried the foreign weapons soon recognized the spell that was being chanted and soon their voices joined. Some of them weren't strong enough to do this spell and it quickly drained them of their energy, they knew that this spell was dangerous to everyone, friend or foe, but it was their last shot.

The Kami in the air were going insane. Lightning flashed and rain fell harder and harder as the winds spinned faster. The earth felt like it was shaking and soon there was enough focus to move the spell directly over the Crane armies, all the energy and furry pouring down without restraint.

One by one the clans slowly rose to their feet, weapons poised and ready to finish off the Crane once the spell had taken its course. They only had to wait.

The lead Scorpion Shugenja was still at the front of the group, arms raised as she screamed the spell over and over, hitting a new volume she wasn't aware she was capable of. The lightning became more violent and a few bolts separated fromt he usual thin shapes.

The lightning got closer and closer until suddenly a bolt struck the ground right in front of the Soshi. The lightning looked strangely like a fist as it sent earth flying into the air. The woman screamed as the earth beneath her feet crumbled and she fell down.

The shock of lightning being so close made nearly all the Shugenja lose their focus and suddenly the winds died down. The spell was incomplete.

It was a failure.

Soon the Crane army was back on their feet, a little shaken up, but their weapons were soon ready and they charged forward. Everything that the others had been working so hard for had disappeared as quickly as the lightning that struck.

Metal was clashing against armor and metal again, the thunder's roar was nothing compared to this.

The Soshi woman was on the ground, bruised and battered and coughing as dirt got into her mouth. "Who!" she yelled up at the Shugenja on the ledge above her.

What she wanted to know was who cast Fist of Osano-Wo, and so close to the allies. The Crane Shugenja were no where in sight, they were too valuable and too few to risk on the battle field right now. The spell was dangerous and she was sure soon her, now speeding heart, would slow down for the final time. The rhythm was off and it was skipping too many beats to promise life.

She heard someone jump down to her side from above. She glared as Yogo's face was in her view. He spoke but she couldn't hear him over the sounds of battle, but she could read his lips well enough.

"I'm so sorry," was what Yogo was repeating over and over. "I didn't mean to betray you."

The Yogo did what Bayushi said they would never do, they loved a Scorpion.

The Soshi woman just stared at him, anger filling her body. Her heart pumped erratically, trying to cope with the missing beat and the anger that was suddenly filling it. She knew that soon it would give out. She raised her hand to slap him when suddenly a long wooden pole blocked the path of her arm.

That pole was attached to a metal spearhead, which was embedded in her chest. The Crane army had broken through and were attacking the fleeing Shugenja.

Yogo watched as his so-called love died right in front of him. When he looked up, he saw a sword swinging at him, the engraving of a Crane shining in what was left of the sunlight.

* * *

**Author's Notes**: This is one of three fanfics written around the same general theme/idea/plot. Mine follows the PoV of a Yogo Shugenja of the Scorpion clan, I will notify of when the other two stories get posted, be on the look out. This was just the prologue, and since mine isn't the true story, there are a lot of details of the wars and explanations left out. This is done on purpose. I apologize if this is all very confusing.

Please review if you'd like to see more.


	2. Chapter 1

Summary: Rokugan is nearing a revolution, and not for the better. The Crane have risen up and slowly the Great Clans are breaking apart and diminishing in size. Minor Clans are stirring up trouble. Technology has hit a revolutionary point with steam. A young Shugenja finally takes his place in the order.

Warning: This story is a complete Alternate Universe to the Legend of the 5 Rings saga. Most of what is mentioned makes no sense with the time line (mainly because I'm not 100% familiar) and it is an extreme work of fiction. There will be violence, gore, cussing, adult situations, death, and other subjects that aren't suitable for younger readers.

I, KradsLover, do not own L5R. I only own 1/3 of this plot/story. (see artist comments below)

* * *

"It's been three years."

The quiet sound of rustling papers, the tinker of metal, and the soft whir of a unique device (of my own invention) was suddenly interrupted by that sentence. That voice was so familiar to me now, but it was an annoynace at this point. I was so close to being finished!

"Hm?" I lifted the goggles in front of my eyes, pushing them up to keep my black hair out of my face. I was sitting down on the ground, once again copying the written text in an old book that rested in my lap.

The girl who was now at my side, Yue Isawa, was staring down at me, hands on her hips. She was a young girl and, though despite her breeding and teachings, wasn't as knowledgeable as the others in the Phoenix lands. Sure, she was smart enough, but she could never grasp the important things. Her head was full of random information that was only helpful in the randomest of moments.

"It's been three years," Yue repeated, grinning down at me as she leaned down a little closer. "Since you first came here, to the day."

"It's been that long?" I asked, running a leather clad hand through my hair. Three years. Three years since I left the Scorpion lands and came here to the central Phoenix library to learn all I could about.. Well everything. The libraries of my home were so limited, even though the Yogo were once Phoenix...

Well you wouldn't leave valuable information with a Scorpion, would you?

Yue nodded, sitting down on a stack of books that I hadn't looked through yet. "Yup, three years. Seems like just yesterday you appeared at our doors in your dark clothing and blood red feathered mask, asking daddy for permission to copy the texts in our library," she giggled, as if it were an outrageous request.

Okay, maybe it was.

"And I'm still not finished," I sighed, looking at the stack that was left. I was being a little dramatic, I would be finished with that stack by the end of the day. And with that, I would have 'read' every book in this entire library, which was basically the city.

"This won't take you long," she said, as if she was reading my mind. "C'mon, Kai. Stop working for just a few moments and join everyone for dinner!" she grabbed my hand and roughly pulled me up from the floor.

Try as I might, I couldn't get her to let go of my hand. She was like a clingy child! "No, I really wanna finish this-"

"You can finish it after dinner!" she insisted, dragging me away from the precious books that were calling out to me. Promising me with the temptation of knowledge. "I know you haven't eaten all day. One meal. One last meal, with all of us. Please?"

A last meal. When she put it that way, in such a soft tone... How could I refuse? I finally gave in, letting her drag me to the dining hall.

As we walked, I glanced up at the familiar walls. In just three years, this place had become my home. I knew every nook and cranny, better than my own house even. I wish I didn't have to leave.

I wasn't given the warmest welcome when I first arrived. As a Scorpion, I was automatically treated with such distrust that I might as well been a Crane. But when telling them of my name, and my intentions, I was allowed to stay for as long as I needed. No more, no less. I would no longer need to stay after today.

It wasn't all bad, however. They gave me a bed to sleep on, food to keep me going, and access to the entire world's more extensive library. This was paradise for me. And after the first few months, I noticed that I was getting fewer hateful glares in the hallway. I had become so comfortable with these people, that soon one day I left my mask on my beside table.

I never saw it again after that day.

I was snapped out of my thoughts by Yue's voice.

"I wish we could go back in time, to when Rokugan was young."

Oh great, this again.

"You're still on about that?" I asked, glancing at her.

She nodded, a few strands of hair slipping to her face. "Yeah. Imagine it, the Cranes would not be in a position of power like now, the Emporer would know what was best for the people, we could use magic for honorable purposes, not powering up machines," she sighed, tucking some hair behind her ear. "Honor would mean something, the Kami would come back to us... Everything would be so different! "

"How do you know it would be better?" I asked.

It had been a century since the last Great War, when the Crane clans defeated the other Great Clans, taking over the entire Empire. Technological advancements were made, but at a cost. Shugenja were now nothing more than a power source, the need to fight was no longer there. The Crane ruled with an iron fist and cared little for the other clans. Everything had been falling apart.

The Dragon and Unicorn fled, the Mantis had disappeared into the oceans. The Phoenix were now so little in numbers, the Scorpion also were getting scarce. The Lion had nearly been obliterated and they hid withing their borders, the wild lions that lived there running wild and attacking those who were considered outsiders. And then the Crab, the poor Crab clan. They spent years gaurding the wall. It finally collapsed and the Shadowlands had seeped into all of the Crab land. A new wall was quickly built and a magical barrier was put up.

All of the Crab, save for the Kuni family who fled earlier, were trapped behind the barrier. They were nothing but monsters now.

"I just know it." was all Yue said, smiling softly. She back in her little dream world.

"Well for now, we'll just have to live in 2015." I whispered.

Dinner was grand. Yue had told her father that I was practically done with my work and in celebration of my doing so, he threw a sort of going away party in my 'honor'. I think he was really only happy because as I went through the books, I organized them more, making his job easier.

As I sat at a large table with maybe 50 other people, laughing at a little mishap one of the younger kids had, I realized then that it was going to be more painful to leave. But, I had already spent too much time here. I wasn't a Phoenix. I was a Scorpion, I belonged back in the Scorpion lands.

Once I had eaten my fill, I excused myself from the table and went back to the library to scan that last stack of books. I pulled out the small device from my pocket. I didn't have a name for it, I just called it the Reader. It emitted a beam of light, focused from my own magic, and copied all of the light touched and stored the reflections of the light in a small series of crystals for me to access at a later point. This was really risky, if something happened to bump one of the crystals in the wrong way, I could lose everything.

But that would never happen, I kept all of them each in a very well padded box, with their own compartments.

Hours passed before I was finally finished. I had put the last book on the shelf and I was retiring to my room to pack all of my belongings. I would be gone before the light even touched the city.

I had little when I arrived, and still had little when I left. Enough clothing to last a few days before I needed to launder them, a few pieces of koku, my tools, and a map to get from point A to point B and back.

The only thing that was missing was my mask. I wasn't about to return home without it, I would be a laughing stalk! It was a small mask, but it was very noticeable. Dark black feathers that showed red in most light, a dark gold beak-like piece for the bridge of my nose. Where would something like that be?

After searching every place in the room I stayed in, I could not find it. I finally gave up and grabbed my bag, walking too the door. I gave the room one last look before blowing out the lantern one last time.

The hallways were empty. Not a soul, save for mine, was in them as I walked. It was how it should be. The little Phoenix slept during the night and would rise when the blazing sun would, while the deceitful Scorpion just left in a cloak of darkness.

I need to stop being so depressing.

"Leaving without saying 'good bye'?"

I stopped walking, glancing over my shoulder.

Standing in the hallway was Yue, she looked very upset. Her black hair was no longer held up with her elaborate clips, her flowing kimono was replaced with a simpler one for sleeping. Her hands were, again, on her hips, but not in the usual teasing manor. Dark eyes sparked as she walked up to me.

I half expected her to hit me at this point.

"You were going to leave, in the middle of the night? You weren't going to say good bye to the other students? To father? To me?" she sounded hurt now. "Why are you leaving? I thought you liked it here?"

I knew where this was going. I had heard a little rumor that Yue fancied me, but I thought she was just trying to be friendly. I was never familiar with the ways of women back home. Scorpion women only went for the strong ones, or to whom they were betrothed. I was neither strong, nor of good enough breeding to be a profitable husband. So I never learned to tell when a girl flirted.

"I told you all when I first arrived, I would only stay as long as I needed to. I no longer have the need," I said, staring down at her, watching her heart break. "I need to return to the Scorpion lands, where I belong."

"You don't belong there!" She half shouted, trying to keep herself from waking others. "You're not a Scorpion, you're a Phoenix. It's in your blood and you know it," she took a step forward, holding onto my wrist. "Please, stay. You don't need to go back. You were probably forgotten anyway, the Scorpion don't seem to keen on the Yogo."

I roughly pulled my arm away from her. I have never hurt a living being, and I wasn't about to start now, but at that moment I wanted to hit her. How dare she. She didn't know anything of the Scorpion way. Yogo or not, I was still a Scorpion. You can tease us, but it is forbidden to betray each other.

I had gotten to relaxed without my mask, my emotions rose to the surface too quickly. My anger must've showed because Yue looked very fearful and stepped away from me.

"I am no Phoenix," I said calmly to her, looking her in the eye. "At one time, my family were of Phoenix decent. But that was centuries ago. Times have changed."

"Please, don't go," Yue said again, her lower lip trembling. "Stay with us. You like it here, I know you do. Stay with me. We could be happy together."

I shook my head, adjusting the pack on my back. "I'm sorry." and then I left. I managed to find someone heading South and they let me travel on their wagon for a few koku.

I never returned to the Phoenix lands. I never had the chance to.

_Yue watched with a tearful expression as Kai left, forever._

_"You're so selfish," came a deep voice. A Phoenix bushi walked out of the shadows, putting a hand on Yue's shoulder._

_"Feng," Yue said softly, not looking up at the taller male._

_"If he stayed here, he would have died with the rest of us," Feng said softly, rubbing her shoulder in a comforting manor. "It's best that he left. Tomorrow is the last time. He could have jeapordized everything if he betrayed you."_

_"Leaving was betrayal enough," Yue muttered darkly, finally looking up. "I wished he stayed, we could have been together in the after life," she whispered. "He belonged here."_

_"He is not a Phoenix. He is nothing but a Scorpion, wearing a feathered mask. Do not forget that," he said, releasing her. "Now hurry, the Crane will be at our doors any minute now. We mustn't disappoint our Lords."_

_With that, the two walked off deep into the library. A bell had sounded through out the entire city, signaling what must be done._

_Yue reached into her kimono and pulled out a small feathered mask softly kissed the feathers and held it tightly to her heart. "I'm sorry."_

_One by one, candles were knocked over near the valuable books. One by one, Phoenix Shugenja would stand in and out of buildings, arms raised, faces to the sky as lips parted to whisper a spell._

_The few fire Kami left in the area became excited, bursting out of the candles, eating the books and the buildings. Screams filled the air and the flames soon took everything. It happened so fast. Within minutes the flames rose and swirled around everything. Just as quickly, everything was gone. Nothing remained of the last Phoenix city other than ashes._

_The Phoenix had returned to the ashes from whence they were born.

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_

**Author's Notes**:

Woot! I finally got this chapter done. It's not my best work, and I am aware of that, but I'm kinda proud of how it turned out.

As you may know by now, this story is written in Kai Yogo's point of view, for the most part. I may do third pov little shorts within the story, but only if they are significant details, such as what just happened.

In case you couldn't tell, this story is set int he year 2015. The technological advances are both behind and ahead of our own, based on the setting for Rokugan. It's more of a futuristic steampunk would, with magic (and steam/coal) as a main energy source. My friend is also writing another PoV for this story, and I have one MORE PoV to write besides Kai's.

It's going to be hard not to mix the information/stories.

Well in any case, please review and let me know what you think!


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